In Pictures: Stagecoach Supertram rail replacement works continue

Posted on Sunday 26 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

The rail replacement project on Stagecoach Supertram is continuing with the latest worksite being on the inbound curve at Wood Street. The outbound track at the same location was completed last weekend with other recent work being seen on the outbound track at Bamforth Street. Work will be ongoing in area 5 (Infirmary Road to Hillsborough Corner) until 8th May with replacement buses running on the Yellow route beyond Cathedral and the Blue route beyond Shalesmoor. Stuart Cooke provides the images.

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In Pictures: Croydon Town Centre blockade

Posted on Sunday 26 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

To bring us up-to-date with the Easter Croydon Town Centre blockade we bring you a final photo update from Ian Buck. Once the works along Addiscombe Road was completed trams were able to return to East Croydon although the town centre loop remained closed which meant trams were only able to run from Wimbledon to Reeves Corner and Beckenham Junction/Elmers End/New Addington to East Croydon. All work was completed on schedule and normal services resumed across the whole network from 14th April.

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Edinburgh Trams Inquiry to take two years

Posted on Sunday 26 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

It has recently transpired that the “quick and efficient” inquiry into the construction of Edinburgh Trams is set to take up to two years to complete leading to yet more debate and anger in the Scottish capital over the project. The inquiry – led by Lord Hardie – is currently collating and assessing evidence and it is not expected that they will start to take evidence from witnesses until this autumn at the earliest. The fact that the findings from the inquiry will not be revealed for some time yet has been described as convenient as it means that the forthcoming elections in May will go-ahead without anyone knowing whether any politicians going for office are to blame.

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | 1 Comment

Crich trams preparing for comebacks

Posted on Friday 24 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

This week has seen a milestone in the overhaul of London County Council 106, a tram which has resided in the workshop area at Crich Tramway Village for almost two years. The tram has now been commissioned and has undertaken its first test run, which is indeed the first time it has operated under its own power since 2010, when it briefly returned to use only to be withdrawn again due to the discovery of a mechanical fault.

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Centenary 641: Blackpool FC celebration tram plans progress

Posted on Tuesday 21 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

As previously reported on British Trams Online the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust are currently progressing with plans to create a Blackpool FC celebration tram with Centenary 641 due to be repainted tangerine with a gallery of images from the glory years of Blackpool FC also added. Despite recent controversy over the current state of affairs at the football club – with relegation from the Championship confirmed and regular protests against the owners – the plans are still well on course with significant support from individuals and community groups.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 15 Comments

Midland Metro T69 book coming soon!

Posted on Tuesday 21 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

The previously announced book on the Midland Metro T69s is now at the printers and will soon be available for purchase. An Illustrated History of the Midland Metro T69 Trams is written by Andrew Coward and features 160 pages in full colour and is certain to be a popular addition to the bookshelf of any self respecting tram enthusiast!

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

In Pictures: A Birkenhead birthday celebration

Posted on Monday 20 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

During April 2015, the Birkenhead heritage tramway marked its 20th anniversary with a special enhanced running day held on Saturday 18th April. Unfortunately the intended six-car service proved to be overly ambitious with neither enough manpower or trams available, and therefore a more modest two car service operated throughout the day with a change of trams part way through the event, giving a total of four different cars in action.

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Crich unveil their Recruitment Tramcar

Posted on Friday 17 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Crich Tramway Village have unveiled their new First World War Recruitment Tramcar, Chesterfield 7, ahead of its scheduled public debut on 18th April. The tram has been extensively decorated for its new temporary role, recreating a common practice from last century which saw many trams used to encourage people to enlist for the armed forces.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 9 Comments

The Railgrinder retires

Posted on Friday 17 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

For the second time this year, one of the Blackpool tramcars preserved within the last decade has shown its age to the extent that its operational career has ended, for now at least. Heaton Park’s Blackpool Railgrinder 1, better known as 752, has given good service since moving to Manchester in 2008 but now looks set for a lengthy lay-off after being withdrawn due to concerns about the condition of its motors.

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Posted in Heaton Park Tramway | 5 Comments

In Pictures: Balloon 701 on tour

Posted on Tuesday 14 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Saturday 11th April, a group of railway enthusiasts hired Blackpool Balloon 701 for a full system tour, with all proceeds being generously donated to the Blackpool Heritage Trust. This included use of various different turnback points and the novelty of a double deck tram ride to and from Starr Gate, still a relative rarity for the heritage fleet.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 17 Comments

Trams are number one in Blackpool!

Posted on Monday 13 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Transport have had reason to celebrate recently as the famous tramway has been named the number one ‘thing to do’ in Blackpool by users of the popular website TripAdvisor. According to recent statistics, over 1400 people had proclaimed the tram service to be ‘excellent’ on the website, with a further 438 proclaiming it ‘very good’.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 7 Comments

A highly successful start for Blackpool’s heritage trams

Posted on Monday 13 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The Blackpool heritage tram tours have started 2015 in fine form, by operating daily over the two-week Easter school holiday period. As reported previously, this included the inauguration of the new green timetable on Good Friday, with four heritage trams in use, followed two days later by the brand new gold timetable featuring six cars. In all, sixteen different traditional trams have already run in passenger service this year which is a higher total than any other UK tramway – Blackpool is definitely back!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 7 Comments

Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 9 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

It is time once again for our weekly round-up of just when and where you can go for a ride on a heritage tram. This week sees the start of the Great North Steam Fair at Beamish whilst we come to the end of this batch of daily running in Blackpool (but don’t forget you can still enjoy rides there at weekends) and of course there are still lots of other places you can go for a ride…

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Posted in Going for a ride | 1 Comment

Another new timetable for NET

Posted on Thursday 9 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit are to introduce another new timetable from Monday 20th April this time improving the afternoon timetable. As you may remember during March a new timetable was introduced which saw a 3-5 minute frequency during the morning peak and now this is to be expanded to the afternoon peak to provide 200 extra seats an hour.

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Heritage trams rule Easter in Blackpool

Posted on Monday 6 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The four-day Easter weekend saw the first of this year’s special heritage tram events taking place in Blackpool, with the introduction of the green heritage timetable on Good Friday 3rd April. This was then followed by the inaugural operation of the ambitious gold heritage service two days later, which saw an impressive six historic trams rostered to operate, with six timetabled journeys to Fleetwood being performed during the day.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 12 Comments

Flock to the shops on Blackpool 016

Posted on Monday 6 April 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Good Friday 2014, Blackpool Flexity 016 made history when it entered service as the first ever all-over advert articulated tram to run in Blackpool. Almost exactly one year, and Good Friday 2015 saw the second such advert on the Flexity2 class make its public debut, on the same tram! 016 has retained the same sponsor for the 2015 season, but has received a brand new vinyl wrap in time for the Easter weekend.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 5 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

This week we bring you our first photo galleries of 2015 featuring traditional trams whilst we also make our very first trip to Dublin for views from Luas:

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1001

Posted on Sunday 5 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today for our Picture in Time we head back to Manchester for a view of another of the Metrolink T68s in action during their early years and this time we feature the first numbered – 1001 – in April 1992.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink, Picture in Time | 3 Comments

British Trams Online: The Future – the outcome

Posted on Saturday 4 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

A few weeks ago we launched a “consultation” into the future of British Trams Online and what we did well and what you would like us to do going forwards. A huge thank you to everyone who took their time to either comment on the article or to send an email through. On the whole you told us you liked what we did – it’s always good to know we aren’t wasting our time and effort! – but there are a few things you asked us to feature in the future. After much though what follows is just what you can look forward to on British Trams Online in the future.

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Posted in Site News | 12 Comments

In Pictures: Supertram rail replacement works continue

Posted on Saturday 4 April 2015 by Gareth Prior

The rail replacement works on Stagecoach Supertram have now moved onto the outbound track just beyond Hillsborough tramstop and the points leading to Holme Lane and Middlewood Road. This area includes some interlaced track with the worksite ending just short of Walkley Lane. Stuart Cooke provides us with some photos of the latest progress.

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